Cobra Commander (RAH)
:Cobra Commander is a Cobra character in the A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series. Not much is known of the background of the man many call the Cobra Commander. What we can only tell is how he works and how he thinks. We know that he has deliberately started political and social conflict in a number of areas. He has amassed an army by recruiting displaced people, promising them money, power and a chance to get back at the world that hurt them. In return, he demands that they swear absolute loyalty to his cause. What is his cause? World domination. Cobra Commander does not delude himself by justifying his actions as matters of principles or glory. He knows he does it for control and power. He is ruthless, hatred-personified and totally obsessed. A meticulous person, he likes to personally oversee vital projects himself, even engaging in military combat himself on occasion. Fiction Comics A Real American Hero continuity Marvel Comics continuity Not much is known of Cobra Commander's past, but in his early career he was a used car salesman. While struggling to keep his business afloat, he learned that a car crash had taken the life of his older brother, Dan, who had been driving drunk. Embittered by this tragedy, Cobra Commander became obsessed with vindicating his brother's death. He took specific interest in the surviving son of the family killed in the accident with Dan. That man was the soldier better known as Snake-Eyes. Cobra Commander managed to track Snake-Eyes to Japan, where he was training to become a member of the Arashikage ninja clan. The Commander hired a mercenary called Firefly to kill him, but Firefly soon realized he was no match for his target, instead referring Cobra Commander to another assassin, Zartan, who infiltrated the clan and shot at Snake-Eyes with an arrow stolen earlier from another ninja, Storm Shadow. However, it was not Snake-Eyes who was hit, but the clan's leader and Storm Shadow's uncle, Hard Master. Storm Shadow was blamed for the murder and fled in search of the killer. Cobra Commander returned to his domestic life, but after his wife gave birth to a son, Billy, she found out about what had happened in Japan. He took the child and left his wife, becoming increasingly paranoid and blaming all his problems on "the system". He traveled across America with Billy, seeking out people who shared his desire to topple big business and the government, using money he had earned from pyramid schemes to attract followers. He then moved to the town of Springfield, where the businesses were struggling and the population had become disillusioned with existing policy. He applied his influence to corrupt the township and eventually took control of it. Within the town, he established a clandestine terrorist group called Cobra. For reasons and in ways unknown, Billy leaves his father, and joins the anti-Cobra underground organization. Storm Shadow's search for his uncle's killer eventually led him to Cobra, which Storm Shadow joined, pledging loyalty to Cobra Commander as his personal bodyguard. For a long time, Cobra has remained a clandestine organization, slowly building up its forces and resources. Cobra Commander finally initiates a bold plan by kidnapping renowned nuclear physicist Dr. Adele Burkhart. The U.S. government responds by sending in the G.I. Joe Team to rescue her. Scarlett and Snake-Eyes managed to infiltrate the base and reach him holding Burkhart hostage. Burkhart tried to sacrifice herself to save the Joes. Scarlett manages to injure the Commander but he manages to escape. Irked at the Joes' interference, Cobra Commander initiated a plan to let a sophisticated battle robot be captured by the Joes. The robot was meant to be transported to the Joes' headquarters, the Pit, where it will activate by itself, attempt to escape and beam the Pit's location. The Joes caught wind of the plan and it failed. Hoping to get a piece of G.I. Joe technology, the Commander initiates a plan to capture the MOBAT during an Armed Forces Day parade. Even without ammo, the Joes proved resourceful enough and his command post was exposed. General Flagg almost had him but he was able to use a hostage and make good his escape. He also proved his ability to manipulate those not directly under his control as he let the Joes and the Oktober Guard fight over a spy plane and then had them surrounded and take the prize away. Despite, his flair for a theatrical appearance, he is not a fool to deliberately put himself in danger as the G.I. Joe member named Clutch took hostage a robotic doppelganger instead. Devil's Due Comics continuity G.I. Joe Reloaded Write up G.I. Joe vs. Transformers Write up Action Force (British) Comics continuity Write up Blackthorne Comics continuity Write up Dreamwave Comics continuity Though never said exactly, the Cobra Commander of Dreamwave's Transformers/GI Joe crossover seems to be an alternate version, if not the real Adolf Hitler. Despite it being a speculation, there a numerous hints that suggest this, in addition, his uniform bears a striking form to that of a German Officer's during the real World War 2. Other then that speculation, his background and true face are never shown. In book 6, he is killed by the Baroness and Megatron but in the sequel, Divided Front, he returns to lead Cobra in the modern era, the new Cobra Commander could be the speculative first Commander's son or another man entirely, since Dreamwave's shut down, the story has yet to be continued. Hasbro Comics continuity Write up Animated continuity Sunbow animated series Cobra Commander always had a flair for the dramatic such as when he built his Cobra temple in the secret mountains and creating a reputation for it that scares the locals. He also maintains an Arena of Sport for his amusement. He had Destro build a MASS Device for him that enabled his men to capture a spy satellite for his own use. When Duke was captured during the theft, he wasted no time in including the Joes' field commander as a combatant in the arena. Although only Cobra Commander's eyes are ever openly exposed, it is clear from this partial view that he is a blue-eyed Caucasian. His reason for wearing the mask was not expressly divulged, but in one episode, Destro interrupts his unmasked privacy during a meal and is repulsed at what he saw (which is not shown on-screen), prompting the Commander to wryly muse, "It takes a strong stomach to watch me eat, eh, Destro?" implying that he may have some unsightly deformity. Though in GI Joe:The Movie it is revealed that he is infact a many-eyed ,blue-skinned snake-man from the ancient civilization of Cobra-La. Cobra Commander frequently led assaults himself, but often vacillated between being a coward at heart, usually the first to turn tail in retreat whenever the tide of battle shifted unfavorably, or pushing his troops to seize victory at all costs, berating them when they turned to retreat. Impatient and frequently hysterical, he was prone to fits of rage when things went badly, often launching into extended rants. He was also greedy and egotistical, often mistreating his own troops to the point of mutiny, and on multiple occasions saw his plans foiled by his own arrogance. The Cobra organization decides that, after Cobra Commander had repeatedly failed to bring them victory, they should literally create a new leader. Under the guidance of Dr. Mindbender, Cobra's scientists combine DNA samples retrieved from the tombs of history's most notorious despots (along with DNA from current G.I. Joe member Sgt. Slaughter) to genetically craft Cobra Commander's successor, Serpentor, who immediately assumes charge of Cobra and deposes the erstwhile Commander to the status of "lackey." Fortunately for the Commander, G.I. Joe managed to interfere with the gene collection to deny Serpentor the critical inclusion of Sun Tzu's essence and with only a little of Sgt. Slaughter's. The absence of that ancient military strategist's influence evidently makes Serpentor prone to impulsive foolhardiness that shows when he immediately orders a full-scale attack on Washington, D.C.. While the operation is initially successful, it soon turns into a complete fiasco at the hands of G.I. Joe's reprisals. Cobra Commander is able to convince Dr. Mindbender to free him from his handcuffs because he knows how to use a weapon and Cobra needs all the help it can get. During the battle, Cobra's vehicles began to run out of fuel, except for one Night Raven, which would take the high command back to Cobra Island. A sudden burst of fire cuts the Joes off from Serpentor. The high command is shocked to learn Cobra Commander saved them. Serpentor orders the high command to the Night Raven while he deals with the Commander. In a rare moment of brilliance, Cobra Commander is able to convince Serpentor that he needs him for a scapegoat. Thereafter, Cobra Commander seems to be employed as the organizations primary field commander, while Serpentor leads mostly from the Terrordrome. Serpentor even allowed Cobra Commander to be the organization's second-in-command, a decision tolerated by the rest of the Cobra High Command. Cobra Commander spent most of Season 2 trying to reclaim his former glory from under Serpentor's domineering shadow, assembling his own secret society called The Coil to that end. DiC animated series Write up Direct-to-video series Write up Toys * A Real American Hero (1982) :Cobra Commander is part of the original 1982 wave of A Real American Hero toys. :Original 1982 file card from YoJoe.com * A Real American Hero - Hooded version (1984) :The hooded version of Cobra Commander used the same body mold as the 1982 original but with a new head, obviously. This was available as a mail-in direct-to-order. :1984 file card from YoJoe.com * A Real American Hero (1987) :This was better known as Battle Armor Cobra Commander. :1987 file card from YoJoe.com * A Real American Hero (1991) :Cobra Commander takes a more imperial look. As with other figures in the 1991 line, Cobra Commander came with a spring loaded launcher that shoots his mini-spy plane to flight. If you look carefully through his faceplate, you can really see his face. :1991 file card from YoJoe.com * Battle Commanders (1991) :1991 Battle Commanders file card from YoJoe.com * Battle Corps (1993) :1993 file card from YoJoe.com * Star Brigade (1994) :1994 file card from YoJoe.com * Cobra Command Team (1997) :1997 file card from YoJoe.com * The Real American Hero Collection (2000) :Cobra Commander is sold in a two-pack with Chameleon. :2000 file card from YoJoe.com Trivia A character called "Old Snake" appeared in the Transformers G1 episode "Only Human", assisting the gangster Victor Drath. His voice (provided by Chris Latta) and silver face mask, along with his attempt to shout "COBRA!!!" before dissolving into a fit of coughs has led many to believe that Old Snake is really Cobra Commander. There are also hints throughout the episode, including his lament that "They just don't make terrorists like they used to!", which suggest that COBRA has dissolved by 2006. External links * Cobra Commander's page at the Yo Joe action figure archive * Comprehensive biography of Cobra Commander (comic book version) * 2004 Presidential Campaign Ad for Cobra Commander * Another 2004 Campaign Ad for Cobra Commander * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwTDndm4b8 "Snake" in the Transformers episode "Only Human".] *http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/cc.html Footnotes Category:Cobra Category:Battle Commanders Category:Star Brigade Category:A Real American Hero characters Category:Real American Hero Collection Category:G.I. Joe vs. Cobra characters Category:Spy Troops characters Category:Valor vs. Venom characters Category:DTC Category:RAH 25th Anniversary characters